Building the Foundations
I began my career as a Buyer with Veolia in the United Kingdom, where I developed a strong grounding in procurement processes and operational excellence. I then spent eight years with McCormick & Company, progressing from indirect procurement to packaging and contract manufacturing.
During this period, I developed a conviction that sustainable procurement performance is built on rigorous cost management, strong stakeholder alignment, and effective supplier relationships. Cost modelling, make-or-buy decisions, process optimisation, and supplier collaboration became the foundations of the performance programmes I led throughout my career.
Operating at Global Scale
In 2013, I joined Danone in Amsterdam to lead the Global Secondary Packaging Procurement team, managing a €650 million spend portfolio and an international team of fifteen professionals. Over three years, the team delivered a 20% reduction in procurement costs across the category.
Subsequently reporting directly to the Group Chief Procurement Officer, I was responsible for structuring and leading the strategic alliance between Danone and Veolia. The partnership delivered large-scale initiatives in industrial water efficiency, plastic collection and recycling in Indonesia, and AI-enabled energy optimisation programmes.
This experience reinforced my belief that procurement can simultaneously drive economic value and environmental impact when approached strategically.
Leading Procurement Transformation
In 2019, I was appointed Procurement Director of Panzani, overseeing a €450 million spend portfolio.
Over three years, I led a comprehensive transformation of the procurement function. Procurement productivity increased fivefold, multi-year category strategies were implemented, and governance frameworks were strengthened. At the same time, the company delivered its first carbon footprint assessment, launched a sustainable agriculture roadmap, and accelerated packaging circularity initiatives.
The objective was clear: to align procurement performance with long-term sustainability ambitions.
Delivering Change Across Organisations
Since 2022, I have been applying the same principles as an independent consultant.
A landmark assignment has been the leadership of the Scope 3 decarbonisation programme for Auchan Retail International, involving 10 countries, 500 procurement professionals, and more than 6,000 suppliers.
Over three years, the programme transformed procurement practices at scale and demonstrated that the methods developed throughout my corporate career can be successfully deployed across diverse organisations.
Alongside this work, I have supported procurement performance programmes, integrated sustainability criteria into procurement strategies, and led circular economy initiatives.
These experiences form the expertise I bring to organisations seeking to make procurement a driver of both economic performance and environmental value creation.
